The Death of
Lazarus
Now a certain
man was ill,
Lazarus of
Bethany, the
village of Mary
and her sister
Martha. Mary was
the one who
anointed the
Lord with
perfume and
wiped his feet
with her hair;
her brother
Lazarus was ill.
So the sisters
sent a message
to Jesus, ‘Lord,
he whom you love
is ill.’ But
when Jesus heard
it, he said,
‘This illness
does not lead to
death; rather it
is for God’s
glory, so that
the Son of God
may be glorified
through it.’
Accordingly,
though Jesus
loved Martha and
her sister and
Lazarus, after
having heard
that Lazarus was
ill, he stayed
two days longer
in the place
where he was.
Then after this
he said to the
disciples, ‘Let
us go to Judea
again.’ The
disciples said
to him, ‘Rabbi,
the Jews were
just now trying
to stone you,
and are you
going there
again?’ Jesus
answered, ‘Are
there not twelve
hours of
daylight? Those
who walk during
the day do not
stumble, because
they see the
light of this
world. But those
who walk at
night stumble,
because the
light is not in
them.’ After
saying this, he
told them, ‘Our
friend Lazarus
has fallen
asleep, but I am
going there to
awaken him.’ The
disciples said
to him, ‘Lord,
if he has fallen
asleep, he will
be all right.’
Jesus, however,
had been
speaking about
his death, but
they thought
that he was
referring merely
to sleep. Then
Jesus told them
plainly,
‘Lazarus is
dead. For your
sake I am glad I
was not there,
so that you may
believe. But let
us go to him.’
Thomas, who was
called the Twin,
said to his
fellow-disciples,
‘Let us also go,
that we may die
with him.’
Jesus the
Resurrection and
the Life
When Jesus
arrived, he
found that
Lazarus had
already been in
the tomb for
four days. Now
Bethany was near
Jerusalem, some
two miles away,
and many of the
Jews had come to
Martha and Mary
to console them
about their
brother. When
Martha heard
that Jesus was
coming, she went
and met him,
while Mary
stayed at home.
Martha said to
Jesus, ‘Lord, if
you had been
here, my brother
would not have
died. But even
now I know that
God will give
you whatever you
ask of him.’
Jesus said to
her, ‘Your
brother will
rise again.’
Martha said to
him, ‘I know
that he will
rise again in
the resurrection
on the last
day.’ Jesus said
to her, ‘I am
the resurrection
and the life.
Those who
believe in me,
even though they
die, will live,
and everyone who
lives and
believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe
this?’ She said
to him, ‘Yes,
Lord, I believe
that you are the
Messiah, the Son
of God, the one
coming into the
world.’
Jesus Weeps
When she had
said this, she
went back and
called her
sister Mary, and
told her
privately, ‘The
Teacher is here
and is calling
for you.’ And
when she heard
it, she got up
quickly and went
to him. Now
Jesus had not
yet come to the
village, but was
still at the
place where
Martha had met
him. The Jews
who were with
her in the
house, consoling
her, saw Mary
get up quickly
and go out. They
followed her
because they
thought that she
was going to the
tomb to weep
there. When Mary
came where Jesus
was and saw him,
she knelt at his
feet and said to
him, ‘Lord, if
you had been
here, my brother
would not have
died.’ When
Jesus saw her
weeping, and the
Jews who came
with her also
weeping, he was
greatly
disturbed in
spirit and
deeply moved. He
said, ‘Where
have you laid
him?’ They said
to him, ‘Lord,
come and see.’
Jesus began to
weep. So the
Jews said, ‘See
how he loved
him!’ But some
of them said,
‘Could not he
who opened the
eyes of the
blind man have
kept this man
from dying?’
Jesus Raises
Lazarus to Life
Then Jesus,
again greatly
disturbed, came
to the tomb. It
was a cave, and
a stone was
lying against
it. Jesus said,
‘Take away the
stone.’ Martha,
the sister of
the dead man,
said to him,
‘Lord, already
there is a
stench because
he has been dead
for four days.’
Jesus said to
her, ‘Did I not
tell you that if
you believed,
you would see
the glory of
God?’ So they
took away the
stone. And Jesus
looked upwards
and said,
‘Father, I thank
you for having
heard me. I knew
that you always
hear me, but I
have said this
for the sake of
the crowd
standing here,
so that they may
believe that you
sent me.’ When
he had said
this, he cried
with a loud
voice, ‘Lazarus,
come out!’ The
dead man came
out, his hands
and feet bound
with strips of
cloth, and his
face wrapped in
a cloth. Jesus
said to them,
‘Unbind him, and
let him go.’
Many of the
Jews therefore,
who had come
with Mary and
had seen what
Jesus did,
believed in him.
